Oslo - Sport and social games

Orienteering Orienteering is an activity for the whole
family and a fun way to enjoy the outdoor life. In summer marked posts are
placed all over the region in the surrounding areas, and with the aid of a
specially marked map you find the posts one by one and use the stamp on the
post to mark your card to prove you have done it. You get points for the
number of posts found and at the end of the season you can be awarded
medals. In April the marked maps are on sale in bookshops or sports shops.
In Asker it is organised by Asker Skiklubb (see Skiing). They also organise
a skiing version in the winter. For more information, contact the Norwegian
Orienteering Association at:

Skiing
Skiing is the national sport in Norway and the most popular in winter. You
can choose between cross country (langrenn) or downhill
(alpin), snow board, telemark, and ski jumping (skihopp),
to mention the most common.

Skiforeningen (The Ski Association) promotes the
enjoyment of skiing and runs ski schools, organizes ski competitions and
owns several cabins for members to use. There are special groups for
children, families, young people, extreme sport, etc. For details,
contact

Cross country skiing
There are many marked and illuminated trails (lysløyper) all over
the outskirts of Oslo (Nordmarka), Asker and Bærum. You can buy detailed
maps of ski tracks from sport shops. The Ski Association
(Skiforengingen) and DNT (Norwegian Mountain Touring Association)
open cafes (stuer) during the winter season which are shown on the
maps. For more challenging cross country skiing, DNT (see below)
organises longer trips in the mountains (especially national parks) and
guided trips all over Norway and abroad. Contact DNT at:

Downhill/Alpine
Downhill skiing resorts in Norway do not compare to the Alps or other big
ski resorts in other countries. A Norwegian resort has a few runs and few
facilities. There are several larger ski resorts within a few hours of
Oslo, eg: Hemsedal, Hafjell, Norefjell and Geilo (see Sports Tourism).

For more information, contact The Ski Association
(Skiforeningen). The Ski Association organises ski instruction for
people of all ages and abilities. For details, contact the following ski
school in Oslo:

Skating In winter there is an outdoor rink, called Narvisen
(illuminated in the evening), between Karl Johans gate and Stortings gate in
the centre of Oslo, where your can hire skates. There are many places to
skate outdoors, from school playgrounds to local lakes, and even the fjord
if the ice is thick enough. You can buy second hand skates at the
International School's "ski swap" or at the second hand sport shop in Høvik
(Sportslåven). For details, see Skiing and Sport
shopping.

For more information about skating as a sport, contact the
Norwegian Skating Association at:

Sledging
Sledging (aking) is popular with children where ever there is a
little hill in the neighbourhood. At Korketrekkeren at Holmenkollen (the
hill with the skijump), you can rent old luges or bring your own sledge. It
is advisable that everyone participating should wear a helmet. For more
information about sledging, contact the Norwegian Sledging Association
at:

Golf
In Norway you need to qualify for a 'green card' and a membership of a golf
club in order to play at one of the golf courses, but it is possible to play
as a guest. For more information, contact the Norwegian Golf
Association at:

Squash
You will be able to play squash at many training and fitness
centers in the Oslo area. For a complete list of
training centers and fitness clubs, look under Trening in the
yellow pages or online at: www.gulesider.no
For more details, contact the Norwegian Squash Association
at: www.squash.no/

FitnessTo join a fitness club, you pay a subscription fee and a
monthly fee which includes access to the gym and aerobics classes.
Some smaller gyms offer a clipcard system where you buy a ticket which will
gain you entry to a specified number of sessions. Many have child care
facilities. You should check with your company/employer if they give you a
discounted membership with a fitness club.

For a complete list of fitness clubs and training centers,
look under Trening in the yellow pages or online at: www.gulesider.no